The Way of the Traitor

I really enjoy Ms. Rowland's books about Sano Ichiro, his wife, and his friends (and enemies) in feudal Japan. A 'must read'.

We continue with the saga of the Shogun's detective, a medieval samurai, as he copes with political intriques, crime, and the ramifications of his own desire to always find out the truth no matter the cost. The book is well written, the characters well developed, and the story keeps you wanting to read on. The villans are enough to confuse the issue with who the real murderer is and so, the hallmark of a good author, the revelation is a surprise. My Japanese exchange student says the story is historically very accurate to boot. What more can you ask??

I first read The Way of the Traitor several years ago and found it quite interesting. Now, as I write this review, I am sitting in a computer cafe in Nagasaki. Rowland's plot is quite good. Sano has found himself essentially exiled from Edo by his unintended rival the Shogun's Chamberlin. He is given the task of "inspecting" Nagasaki which is just about as far from Edo as you can go and still be in Japan. Given the state of transportation systems in Japan during the Shogunate, it is possible the chamberlain was hoping Sano wouldn't survive the journey. Nagasaki is Japan's window to the world and it is tightly guraded and only open a crack. The only authorized westerners in Japan are the Dutch and the are kept on a small man-made island in the harbor. Origianlly the concession was given to the Portugese who along with trade brough Christianity and this ultimately lead to the banning of Christian teachings, the expulsion of the Portugese and the persecution of Japanese Christians. The Dutch have filled the void left by the departed Portugese becasue they aren't interested in spreading the gospel, just@making profits on their investments. They can't leave the island unescorted and no Japanese can enter except on official business. To even go on the island one is required to take and oath against Christianity and desecrate Christian icons. The penalty for not adhering to the oath is severe - death. Sano's arival coincides with the disappearance of one of the Dutch trading mission from the island. It is this investigation which Sano finds himself involved with that almost cost Sano his life in several different ways. The plot is well set out. The are a large number of potential suspects ranging from@the surviving Dutch traders to a Chinese religious leader to corrupt local officals. It is not an easy trail for Sano to follow and Rowland makes the sidetracks and false leads quite intriguing. The conclusion to the investigation is excellently done. I have read this book several times and have found it just as entertaining now as when I first got it. Now reading it in Nagasaki it is almost like being in a time warp. Looking at the Nagasaki of today, it is easy to not see the houses clustering on the hills around the city and to see it as it was in the late 17th Century. It is a hot, humid and foggy night as I sit here writing - just the right conditions for a stranger to the city to look for a murderer who might be any one of a number of people. Rowland is an exceptional story teller. She weaves an exceptional tale of the very narrow meeting point between Japan and the rest of the world. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes history interlaced with their fiction.

Ever been set up by a middle manager that wants to make you look bad to make himself look better? Well imagine that the consequence is beheading instead of a write up. That's what the hero face in this exploration of predjudice, paranoia and murder. Fun story, good detective work and good action spice up this book of value exploration.

Laura Joh Rowland has me hooked on 17th century detective, Sano Ichiro. While telling an intricate tale of murder, treason and political intrigue, she has deviously educated me in the ways of feudal Japan. The rich tapastry she lays out will keep your mind awashed in a temporal painting of your mind. This book is a page turner. I literally could not put it down. I had to know what would happen in the next paragraph, the next page, the next chapter . . . and now that I've finished, the next book. I'm truly sorry I did not become aquanted with Sano Ichiro earlier but I plan on picking up the previous two books in the series Shinju and Bundori. GREAT READING!